special military operation
Background
“Special military operation” was the official term the Russian government used for the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war, and it was announced publicly by President Vladimir Putin on 24 February 2022. The phrase appeared in his address at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and it became the standard state label for the conflict in Russian official and media usage. The term was also abbreviated as SMO or SVO, and appeared in Russian and Ukrainian-language forms.
The expression mattered because it framed the invasion in language that avoided terms such as “war” or “invasion,” which the Russian authorities restricted in official discourse. It was widely understood as a euphemism that reduced the appearance of the military campaign and obscured its original political aims, including the annexation of Russophone regions of Ukraine. In Ukrainian media, the phrase was often used in quotation marks to signal criticism or ridicule of the Russian position.
The terminology remained important in later Russian domestic policy and public administration because it served as the formal reference point for laws, budgets, and administrative decisions linked to the conflict. Recent Russian state actions, including measures affecting residents of annexed Ukrainian territories and references to defense-sector support, were described in connection with the special military operation. The term thus continued to function not only as a label for the war but also as a framework through which the Russian government organized related legal, economic, and security policies.
Timeline
Rosrezerv actively supplied Russia’s defense sector in 2025 in support of the special military operation.
Denis Manturov Participated in the Final Board Meeting of RosrezervDenis Manturov called for improved stockpiling of strategic and scarce materials for the needs of the special military operation.
Denis Manturov Participated in the Final Board Meeting of Rosrezerv
Documents
Access to Free Legal Aid Expanded for Certain Categories of Citizens
Russia's State Duma passed amendments expanding free legal aid to persons from annexed Ukrainian territories seeking refugee status or Russian citizenship.
Dmitry Chernyshenko Presents the 2025 Government Awards in Tourism
Deputy PM Chernyshenko presented Russia's 2025 Government Tourism Prizes to 10 winning projects across 8 categories, with each laureate receiving 1 million rubles.
Denis Manturov Participated in the Final Board Meeting of Rosrezerv
First Deputy PM Manturov said Rosrezerv actively supplied Russia's defense sector in 2025 and called for improved stockpiling of strategic and scarce materials.